Reel



`July 18, 1961 Filed July 7, 1958 l. B. JOHNSON REEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. IRWNG B. JOHNSON BYE-MW AH'orneu July 18, 1961 l. B. JOHNSON REEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 7, 1958 INVENTOR. IRWNG E5.doHNsoN United States Patent O 2,992,791 REEL This invention relates to reels of the type employed especially for packaging strand material and the like, such as wire. In order to reduce packaging costson such material, it has been the practice in recent years to ship the wire Wound on disposable reels formed of paperboard. Such reels are constructed by securing paperboard disks to the ends of a cylindrical core, or hub, as by staples, or adhesive.

'I'he material cost of such reels is high, and the assembly of the reels is time consuming and expensive. Such reels are manufactured at the box plant and accordingly, the assembled reels are bulky and costly to ship and especially bulky for storage at the customers plant.

This invention has as an object a reel formed of sheet material, such as corrugated paper board, embodying only a pair of members consisting of two disks incised and scored to provide integral tabs which are readily foldable manually, or by a simple assembling machine, into interlocked relation to form the hub of the reel, the side flanges being formed by the peripheral portions of the disks, all whereby the -reel is particularly economical to manufacture and assemble, and is shipped to the user in the form of flat disks.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompayng drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

In the drawings- FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a paperboard disk used in the construction of my reel.

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of the assembled reel.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view illustrating the reel positioned in a shipping carton.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4, FIG- URE 3.

The reel consists of a pair of annular members formed of sheet material, each having a circular series of integral tabs bent inwardly, the tabs being formed so as to become interlocking when bent inwardly and thus form a rigid core, or hub, on which the stranded material is wound.

The side flange members are formed from disks of sheet material, such as corrugated paperboard, the disks being formed with a central opening from which incisions 1-1 extend in radial fashion, these incisions terminating in spaced relation from the peripheral edge |12 of the disks, whereby the annular marginal portion 13 of the disks serves as the side flanges for the assembled reel.

The disks, in the arrangement shown in the drawing, are also formed with small apertures 14 positioned on the radial incisions 11 at substantially the mid point thereof.

The disks are preferably formed with a circular score line 15 on a radius comparable to that of the incisions 11 in order to provide for the more convenient folding Patented `luly 18, 1961 e ICC 2 inwardly of tabs. The tabs are defined at their side edges by the incisions 11, and at their outer ends by the score line 15. Because the apertures 14 are located on the incisions 11, the converging side edges of the tabs are formed with notches 16.

'In reference to the drawings, the tabs have an inner portion 18 and an outer portion 20 located between the notches 16 and the score line 15.

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of an assembled reel and in that ligure, one disk is indicated at 21, and the other disk of the pair at 22. '[he tabs designated 18, 20, at their inner and outer portions, are integral with the disks 21, the tabs indicated at 18', 20, are integral with the disk 22.

The incised and score disks are shipped in flat form to the user. In the assembly of a reel, a pair of disks are selected, and the tabs of each disk are bent out of the plane of the disks, and the disks are arranged with the bent tabs extending in confronting relation. The tabs are then successively manipulated so that the notches 16 come into interlocking engagement, whereby the outer portions 18, 18', of the tabs are positioned exteriorly of the base portions 20, 20', of the adjacent tabs, see FIG- URES 2 and 4. When the stranded material, such as wire indicated at 25, FIGURE 3, is wound upon the core or hub portion formed by the interlocked tabs, the tabs form a substantially cylindrical core and because of the interlocked relation of the tabs, the reel is as rigid and durable as if assembled in the prior manner With staples, adhesive, and other fastening means.

The reels, with the material wound thereon, are usually shipped in rectangular shaped cartons 30, as illustrated in FIGURE 3. Such cartons are provided with a removable portion adjacent one corner to provide an opening 31 through which the stranded material may be unwound from the reel and the side walls of the carton are formed with circular openings 32 commensurate with. the central aperture of the reel, whereby frictional engagement during rotation of the reel in the carton is limited to engagement of the marginal ange portion 13 of the reel side members with the interior of the carton.

It Will be apparent that my reel embodies a structural arrangement having many decided advantages over reels heretofore used. It is especially advantageous that the reels can be shipped in the form only of flat disks and can be readily assembled Without the aid of separate fastening members, or means. This results in a marked reduction in the over-all cost of the shipping package to the manufacturer of the shipped product.

What I claim is:

1. A reel comprising a pair of annular side ange members formed of sheet material, each of -said members being formed with a circular series of tabs having their base ends integral with said side member and extending toward said other side member, the side edges of said tabs converging from their base ends toward their free ends, each side edge of each of said tabs being formed with a notch intermediate the base and free ends of the tab, said notches interlocking to restrain separation of said side members in a direction axially of the reel.

2. A packaging reel for stranded material and the like comprising a pair of annular side flange members arranged in parallel spaced relation, each of said members being formed of sheet material and having a circular` series of tabs having base portions integral with said members, the tabs of one member extending inwardly toward the confronting side of said other member, all of said tabs being for uniform shape and having their side edges converging from their base ends toward their free ends, each side edge of each of said tabs being formed with a notch, the inner end portion of each of said tabs on one side member overlying the base portion of contiguous tabs on the other side member and the notches of said tabs interlocking, whereby said tabs form a substantially cylindrical core xed against separation axially of the reel.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 613,742 Vernon Nov. 8, 1898 2,767,833 Hedn Oct. 23, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 629,254 France July 19, 1927 1,096,469 France Feb. 2, 1955 

